Premier League Review: More Drama For Chelsea As Man City Stay Top

byDavidonOctober 25, 2015

It was an enthralling weekend of Premier League action that saw Arsenal go top for less than 24 hours, Chelsea to lose again, a stalemate in the Manchester Derby and Jurgen Klopp still searching for his first win as Liverpool manager.

Manchester City returned to the English Premier League summit after a 0-0 draw against rivals Manchester United. The 170th Manchester derby was far from a classic, with only two shots on target, but the point was enough to return City to top of the table on goal difference above Arsenal, with United two points back in fourth place.

Manuel Pellegrini’s City could point to the absence of injured duo Sergio Aguero and David Silva, which partly explained why their attack ran dry after a flood of 11 goals in two league games. There were no such excuses for Louis van Gaal’s United, although they came closest to scoring when Anthony Martial teed up substitute Jesse Lingard to volley against the bar late on.

Arsenal are the team looking most like to break the Manchester grip on the title race as they beat Everton 2-1 at the Emirates on Saturday evening.

Arsenal took control of the game at a rain-soaked Emirates Stadium with two headers in two first-half minutes by France internationals Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny.

Everton midfielder Ross Barkley replied before half-time with a shot that took a hefty deflection off Arsenal defender Gabriel. After Giroud had hit the woodwork, Romelu Lukaku skimmed the bar with a header, and Petr Cech made two terrific saves as the Gunners held on for the win.

Overall on the east side of London it was another difficult afternoon for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea as they lost 2-1 at West Ham.

To make matters worse for the Blues they had midfielder Nemanja Matic had been sent off for two bookable offences in the first half, a decision that resulted in Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and his assistant Silvino Louro sent off.

Mourinho was frustrated that Chelsea had two goals ruled our for offside, at least one of which was a bad decision by the linesman.

This was Chelsea’s fifth defeat of a wretched season and left them in 15th place in the table, eleven points below leaders Manchester City.

Mourinho blanked the media after the game, and now risks a stadium ban, having been handed a suspended one-game ban by the Football Association last week.

The media will be after Mourinho’s head this week, but if the Fabregas goal had been ruled onside, as it should have been, Chelski probably win the game and everyone says the crisis is over.

At Anfield, the arrival of Jurgen Klopp has not had the immediate effect that Fenway Sports Group was hoping for. Klopp is still winless (or unbeaten depending on your point of view) as Liverpool drew there third game under the Klopp boss.

Liverpool seemed to be heading for the victory when substitute Christian Benteke powered in a header from James Milner’s cross with 13 minutes to play. But Mane bundled in his fifth goal in five matches with four minutes remaining. to deny Klopp and Liverpool the three points.